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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27880066">The comfort of home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting'>ToTheStarsWriting</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Unconventional Comfort [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Alec's oral fixation, D/s, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Finger Sucking, Fluff, Gentle Dom Magnus Bane, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane Takes Care of Alec Lightwood, Multi, Nipple Play, Non-Sexual Kink, Non-Sexual Submission, Self-Acceptance, Sub Alec Lightwood, Subspace, Suckling, Talk of cockwarming, Tiny Angst, and he always will, as a form of comfort, deserves its own tag, nipple sucking, not much, soft, this fic is soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,724</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27880066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An absent-minded gesture during a quiet night in sparks a new piece to the already unique dynamics between the two men. One that Magnus is quite happy to have stick around for as long as Alec wants it to.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, background Simon Lewis/Maia Roberts/Jace Wayland - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Unconventional Comfort [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022872</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>253</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The comfort of home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a gift for a dear friend, who I didn't tag on here out of respect for how I know some people might react to this. But it's based on their prompt, and I hope they like it!</p><p>Warnings: Please read the tags. This fic/prompt very much deals with oral fixation (just like the others) and suckling (nipple sucking) as a form of self-soothing comfort. If that's not your cup of tea, I wouldn't read on. Thank you everyone! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Like so many other aspects in this part of their relationship, this started almost by accident. That honestly seemed to be a common theme for a lot of what Alec liked. Magnus’ poor boy had been so locked away from the world, from parts of himself he wasn’t quite ready to confront, that he’d locked himself away from everything else, too.</p><p>In some ways, it worked out surprisingly well for them to discover things together. There were roadblocks, sure – convincing Alec it was okay for him to do something simply because it felt good or to verbalize when he did or didn’t want something. But there were also things that Magnus selfishly enjoyed – like how loud Alec was, because no one had ever taught him that his pleasure needed to be quiet. Or how attentive he was, using that <em>need to be the best</em> mentality that had been bred into him to turn Magnus into a pile of mush when he put his mind to it.</p><p>But occasionally, those very same things had Magnus fighting back the urge to go out and find every single person in Alec’s past and <em>incinerate them</em> for the damage they’d left on someone so much more sensitive than they realized. Magnus loathed them all for the way they’d convinced Alec that he shouldn’t have pleasure at all. That anything soft, anything <em>good</em>, wasn’t worth his time if it didn’t somehow benefit someone else. That his pleasure was somehow secondary (or third, fourth, <em>last</em>) to anyone and everyone else around him.</p><p>With a lot of hard work on both their parts, they’d come a long way from the early stages of their relationship. Alec still got scared sometimes, but he was more open to things. More open to believing Magnus when he said that it was okay for Alec to <em>want</em>.</p><p>Which, if Magnus thought about it, was probably what led them to <em>this</em>.</p>
<hr/><p>Honestly, looking back, Magnus probably shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was that this was something that grew between them. Alec had the biggest oral fixation – a fact they both enjoyed indulging in. There was no quicker way to make his boy happy or calm him down than to get something in his mouth. A straw to chew on, the cap of his pen, the little candies that Magnus kept in stock for him. Though Alec’s preference was always for some part of Magnus. Fingers, skin, cock. It didn’t matter so long as it was a part of Magnus. Alec much preferred that over anything.</p><p>It’d become such a natural part of their lives that Magnus rarely ever even thought anything of it when it happened in the quiet moments.</p><p>That night counted as one of their quiet moments. Neither man had anywhere to go or anything to do. They were free to simply cuddle together on the couch and lazily watch a movie. Something that they enjoyed indulging in when they had the time. They’d already indulged in one of their <em>other</em> favorite pastimes, which meant the two of them were loose-limbed and mostly naked as they lay pressed together.</p><p>Magnus was stretched out on his back, one arm behind his head and his other hand lazily tracing patterns over Alec’s shoulders or moving up to play with his hair. Alec was happily lazing on top of Magnus, head pillowed on his chest.</p><p>He’d started out sort of stiff. No matter how many times Magnus assured him that he wasn’t too big, his boy still had that initial fear of squishing him, even when he was half out of it.</p><p>As if Alec’s weight would be too much. Just the thought had Magnus rolling his eyes. He usually just tugged Alec down until he had him in the position he wanted. It helped that Alec liked being put in his place in a variety of different ways. He went easily where Magnus directed him.</p><p>Whatever reservations Alec might’ve had at the start were long gone, though. He was a nice, heavy weight on Magnus now, and it was perfect. Alec was still riding the comedown from reaching subspace a short time ago, and it left him limp as a rag doll once past that initial hesitance. Something Magnus was more than happy with. Was there anything better than being weighed down by a happy, sated, and content boy?</p><p>The two of them just laid there for the first bit of the movie. Around halfway through, when Magnus felt Alec’s lips brushing against his chest in a familiar questing touch, he smiled. He didn’t even bother looking away from the movie. He just tightened his grip a little in Alec’s hair and used that hold to nudge his head to the right angle. The soft brush of teeth against his chest had him giving Alec’s head a light scratch.</p><p>For a little while, Magnus lost himself in the movie in front of him. He kept up scratching at Alec’s hair, occasionally humming along with the music, and it was good. It was the perfect kind of night for them. Any tension that had been in Alec’s muscles earlier that night was long gone. He was happily lazing there, occasionally nibbling or sucking at Magnus’ skin in a way that wouldn’t really leave any marks by the next day.</p><p>Every now and again, Magnus would nudge Alec’s head so that his lips were in a new spot.</p><p>It wasn’t even really a conscious thought when Magnus moved Alec’s head enough that his lips found Magnus’ nipple. Just an absent sort of gesture to give his clearly questing boy something a bit easier to put in his mouth than just skin.</p><p>It took only seconds for Alec to latch on. He murmured a happy sound against Magnus’ skin and better turned his head on his own so that he could take a little more of Magnus’ nipple into his mouth.</p><p>The gesture wasn’t sexual. Nor was Magnus in the mood to make it so. But there was a soft sort of comfort to be found in Alec’s gentle suckling. It was the same as when he would lazily take a single finger into his mouth. The gesture was soft and soothing.</p><p>Magnus honestly thought nothing of it until the moment that Alec suddenly tensed against him. Alec’s mouth stopped moving, and Magnus swore he could <em>feel</em> as Alec drew up out of his headspace. With their bodies plastered together the way they were, there was no hiding how tense Alec suddenly was. Nor how he drew back and tilted his head, cheek rubbing against Magnus like he was trying to dry the spit off his skin. Like if he erased any signs of what he’d been doing, he might get away with hiding it.</p><p>Even with all those clues, it still took a second for Magnus to piece it together and figure out what was wrong.</p><p>When the realization hit, it was like a silent smack to the head, and Magnus gave a mental <em>ohhh</em> and looked down at the still clearly panicking Alec. All he could think of as he looked at Alec’s hair in the semi-dark room was, oh,<em> you sad, sweet boy.</em></p><p>Words were important in these kinds of situations. Magnus was the first to advocate that. But he also knew Alec, and he knew that mid-panic was not the time to try and use any big words. Nor when Alec was still half in his headspace no matter how hard he was visibly fighting to pull out of that space.</p><p>It was the decision of a second that had Magnus once more tightening his hold in Alec’s hair and turning his head again. “Shhh,” he murmured softly, voice pitched just loud enough for Alec to hear, yet low enough to make his chest rumble in that way he knew soothed Alec. “You’re all right, my sweet boy. You’re fine.”</p><p>Alec held still there as Magnus kept up a litany of soft, soothing words. His lips were right up against Magnus’ nipple, letting out these little puffs of air that chilled Magnus’ skin. For a moment, it seemed like that was all Alec was going to do. That Magnus was going to have to go through the unfortunate task of pulling Alec fully up out of his headspace so they could talk properly about this. Because Alec wouldn’t be able to just <em>let it go</em> if he worked himself up too much. He’d stress about it all night long if that were the case.</p><p>Magnus was just getting ready to tug Alec back and to switch his stream of words to something else, something meant to bring Alec up and reassure him all at the same time, when he felt the soft brush of Alec’s lips moving.</p><p>He didn’t falter. Didn’t let his words stop. Just kept on murmuring encouragement as Alec tilted his mouth down, his upper lip sliding over Magnus’ skin in a warm, wet drag. It was a familiar gesture. One that had happened a lot at the beginning, when Alec was new to this and they were still feeling out the bounds of his oral fixations.</p><p>“That’s it,” Magnus encouraged him. He loosened his grip to scratch at Alec’s scalp again. “There you go, <em>sayang</em>. There you are. You’re so good for me, aren’t you? So <em>very</em> good. Being so sweet and making me feel so nice, pet.”</p><p>That last nickname was probably what did it. Magnus didn’t use it in the sense most Doms might. More in the sense of a sweet name from a different place and a different age. Hearing it, Alec made a soft, happy sound, and he closed his lips once more around Magnus’ nipple. With each suck, the tension that had come into his body was slowly but surely drained away. All it took was a few more and some head-scratches, and Alec was once more back into the happy, content headspace that Magnus so loved to get him into.</p><p>But even when Magnus was sure he was settled, he didn’t get himself back into the movie. Instead, he laid there and let his mind wander, planning out the conversation he was going to have to have and the research he might do. He remembered reading something about this when he’d looked into things at the start.</p><p>Maybe this wasn’t a big thing. Maybe it was just another way for Alec to chew or suck or otherwise keep his mouth occupied. But on the off chance it was something else – which was a possibility, judging by how his poor boy reacted when he’d realized what he was doing – then Magnus was going to be prepared for that talk. He was going to have answers and information.</p><p>He scratched his fingers down over the back of Alec’s neck as his mind began to plan.</p>
<hr/><p>They talked about it at breakfast the next morning. Because it was new, and Alec was nervous, and Magnus wasn’t going to let him stew in it for any longer than he already had. That wasn’t the type of partner he was, and it definitely wasn’t the type of Dom he was.</p><p>Alec knew it was coming, too, judging by the nervous looks he’d been shooting at Magnus ever since he’d woken up.</p><p>If any of their past talks were anything to go by, this wasn’t going to be extremely easy. Talking with Alec like this was sometimes like walking blindfolded through a minefield without magic to help him steer. There was no telling when Magnus might accidentally step on a landmine left behind from the poor excuse of a childhood shadowhunters received. Any wrong move had the risk of setting off an explosion – or an implosion, more accurately, as Alec would always take all that pain into himself before letting it out on anyone else.</p><p>Luckily, Magnus had learned a few tricks. Like having the conversation in as safe a space as possible. Which was why Magnus started out the morning with breakfast in bed.</p><p>Another thing Magnus learned was to be both delicate and blunt when talking about something. Alec wasn’t a person who appreciated beating around the bush in any aspect of his life. He liked things to be clear-cut and plainly laid out for him. That way, there was little room for misinterpretations or mistakes. Magnus, for whom word games and any kind of wordplay had always been just a way of life, was doing his best to try and work on that in their day-to-day life. It was much easier in moments like this. These kinds of relationships required honesty and straightforwardness.</p><p>Something that it seemed he’d finally gotten through to Alec.</p><p>Magnus was both surprised and proud when Alec actually started the conversation for them.</p><p>They’d finished breakfast, and Magnus had magicked away the tray before he turned himself to face his boyfriend. Alec was sitting up in bed beside him with his back pressed against the mound of pillows at the headboard, and the blankets tucked protectively around his waist in that way he sometimes got when he felt too vulnerable. Yet Alec showed just how brave he truly was by lifting his chin, meeting Magnus’ gaze, and saying: “So. We should probably talk about this.”</p><p>For one split second, Magnus just stared at him. Moments like this, these little moments that might not mean as much to anyone else or really seem like much to those outside of them, they made Magnus’ heart swell in ways no one else had ever been able to do. He knew it showed through in his smile as he adjusted himself to better face Alec without crowding against him. “Yes, we probably should.”</p><p>Alec let out a sigh that left his shoulders ever-so-slightly slumped. His eyes darted down and away. “I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>That was okay. He’d done the hard part by starting this conversation. Magnus had no problem leading their way through the rest of it. “I want to say first that there was absolutely nothing that happened last night that you should feel embarrassed or ashamed over.” Those were important words to say even if he knew Alec wouldn’t quite believe him. Not yet. Magnus didn’t give him time to argue, though. “You were doing something that you enjoyed, that made you happy, and I will always support the things that make you happy.”</p><p>Magnus watched as Alec bit back his instinctive response. The denial of his own happiness, maybe, or a protest about what Magnus should and shouldn’t support. Alec held the words back and gathered up that tremendous courage of his again to give Magnus the honesty required for these kinds of talks. “It was… nice.” Alec’s eyes darted up to Magnus and then away again, and a faint hint of color dusted over his cheeks. “Did you, um, I mean…”</p><p>Magnus smiled softly. “I liked it too. I always like watching you when you get soft and sweet like that, darling.”</p><p>“It’s not… it wasn’t a sex thing,” Alec blurted out. Like that somehow might change Magnus’ answer.</p><p>He looked surprised when Magnus nodded and said, “I know.”</p><p>“I mean, not that I don’t like, <em>like</em> that during, um, during sex and all, I just… that is, I mean…”</p><p>Sometimes it was best to let Alec stammer his way through words until he could find the ones he wanted. But sometimes, he needed to be rescued from himself or he would work himself up even more. It was a delicate line to walk.</p><p>This time, it was clear which one it was.</p><p>Reaching out, Magnus caught Alec’s fingers with his, lightly lacing them together. The gesture worked to cut off Alec’s stammering. Wide hazel eyes darted up until they caught on Magnus’ gaze. Still smiling, Magnus gave Alec’s fingers a squeeze. “Darling, I <em>know</em>.” The words were said gently – a reassurance said in his steady Dom tone that always worked to relax Alec. Now wasn’t any different. He saw his boy shiver under it and visibly calm. Magnus took that as his cue to keep going. “I was able to tell last night that it wasn’t sexual. There’s a distinctly different feel between those. Remember?”</p><p>That was something they’d talked about for a long time when they’d had their initial discussions about cockwarming and finger-sucking. It’d taken a little bit for Magnus to convince Alec that it was okay to want that in a non-sexual sense. That it was something that Magnus not only had no problem with but that he enjoyed in the same way Alec did sometimes.</p><p>Teaching Alec that it was okay to want things outside of sex was twice as hard as teaching him it was okay to want things <em>during</em> sex.</p><p>Alec bit his lip and nodded his head at Magnus’ reminder. <em>Good boy. </em>“Is this something you liked?” Magnus asked him bluntly.</p><p>Another nod.</p><p>“Is it something you’d like to try again?”</p><p>Another nod, though slower this time, still a bit hesitant.</p><p>Magnus smiled and gave Alec’s hand another squeeze. “Words, petal. Explicit consent is important. You know that.”</p><p>It took a minute for Alec to clear his throat. But, <em>oh, my brave, sweet love,</em> Alec kept his eyes on Magnus’, and he found his voice somehow. Not just to give Magnus his answer but to go above and beyond Magnus’ expectations the way he always managed to. “I want to, to maybe do it again sometime. It’s, um, it’s relaxing. I felt safe and… small. Not like a, uh, not like a baby or anything. I don’t, I’m not… that’s not what this is. But it was just, it was nice?”</p><p>He looked so nervous and yet so earnest. <em>You beautiful man.</em> What on earth was Magnus supposed to do except lean in and kiss him for that kind of bravery?</p>
<hr/><p>After their talk, things mostly went back to usual for them. There was no massive change just because they’d discovered something new. The two men continued on in their lives just the same way they had before. Alec didn’t shy away from the things he’d already been doing, didn’t let it affect his love for sucking on various parts of Magnus during sex, or when he was nervous, or sometimes just because. But he didn’t try suckling at Magnus’ nipples again. Not for a while.</p><p>Magnus didn’t push it, either. They’d been down this route before. He knew to give Alec time and space to come to terms with this in his own head. When he was ready, he would come to Magnus on his own.</p><p>It took almost a month before that happened.</p><p>Just like the last time, it was something that happened organically, without any real plans. Unfortunately, this time it wasn’t for any pleasant reason.</p>
<hr/><p>It happened in the privacy of their bedroom in the middle of the night under less than ideal circumstances. Magnus woke up to the all-too-familiar sensation of Alec tense and trembling in bed beside him. There was no shout, no flailing limbs, nothing except the minute trembles running through Alec that gave away any sign at all that his boyfriend was having a nightmare.</p><p>Once, it would’ve been something Magnus would’ve slept through. But he’d had plenty of practice now at sensing those small cues and waking himself up. And, okay, maybe a <em>small</em> spell around the room that worked a bit like an alarm to alert him if certain things happened. Either way, he woke up to the feel of Alec’s nightmare, and it was an unfortunate thing that this had been a frequent enough part of their lives that he knew just what to do. How to reach out and gently press a hand on Alec’s arm, soft enough at first that it wouldn’t be construed as a threat. Nothing tight, nothing gripping, no holding him down or pinning him to the bed.</p><p>That touch alone was enough to snap Alec awake in an instant nine times out of ten. Alec was a shadowhunter who’d been trained to be on alert at all times. Even while sleeping.</p><p>When Alec woke, he did it with a sharp jolt like he’d been electrocuted, and then a tension that had his body briefly becoming as hard as a stone.</p><p>Magnus moved in quickly before Alec could try and retreat in some way as he’d so often done the first few times Magnus witnessed these. He used words first to make sure that Alec knew it was him. A soft “It’s all right, darling. You’re all right,” to warn him. Then Magnus used the hand he had on Alec’s arm to slide up to his shoulder and press down, pushing Alec down onto his back.</p><p>To his surprise, Alec not only went easily with that touch, he actually rolled his body further until he was plastered right up against the front of Magnus.</p><p>For one brief second, Magnus’ mind flashed back to a different time when he’d been curled up in this bed with his arms full of a terrified boy wracked with young warlock magic. Alec was trembling almost as hard now as he had been then. And just like then, Magnus pulled him in as close as he could and cradled Alec in the safety of his arms.</p><p>“You’re all right,” Magnus promised him. “It was just a dream. You’re okay, and so am I. So is everyone else. You’re here with me in our home, in our bed, and nothing and no one can get to you here. I won’t let them.”</p><p>Getting Alec to talk about his dreams wasn’t something Magnus had managed yet. Nor was it something he was going to force. Some things had to come with time. Whatever it was that haunted Alec so much it stalked his dreams, it was no doubt the type of thing that would take time for him to talk about, if ever. Magnus could respect that. There were things in his own past he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to talk about, either.</p><p>He didn’t need to know what the nightmare was about to help. Magnus drew Alec in as close as he could, and he slung one leg up over Alec’s hip to draw him in even closer. It brought Alec’s face to his chest in a way he knew made Alec feel safe.</p><p>When he felt the first press of lips and teeth against his skin, heard the soft whine that went with them, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to adjust Alec’s position.</p><p>Magnus let out a sharp hiss when Alec’s teeth caught his nipple. He tightened his hold on Alec’s hair. “Careful, darling. Gentle.” Those sharp teeth turned into lips that latched on and began to suckle in a pressure that was both familiar and yet not. Magnus slid his fingers so that he could stroke them over the back of Alec’s neck right by all the little short hairs. “There we are. That’s better, isn’t it, <em>sayang</em>? I’ve got you now, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe here with me.”</p><p>The feel of something warm and wet hitting against his skin had Magnus letting out a soft cooing sound. He tightened the arm he had around Alec’s waist and carefully hitched his other leg a little more over Alec’s hip, heel digging into the back of Alec’s thigh so that even his legs were pulled in. Magnus encompassed Alec with every bit of him that he could. He did everything he could to make Alec feel <em>small</em>. In response, Alec’s suckling actually got a little softer, and some of the tremors began to subside.</p><p>Holding him close, Magnus let his fingers stroke over Alec’s neck, and he hummed, hoping the familiar soft tune would help to soothe Alec back down. He stayed there as Alec’s tears slowly went away, and the suckling faded into something soft and barely-there before finally stopping altogether.</p><p>When Magnus looked down, he found Alec sound asleep against his chest.</p>
<hr/><p>Magnus hadn’t been sure if Alec would panic the next day after that nightmare. But he was proved pleasantly wrong when he woke up to a sweet, smiling boyfriend who might’ve been a bit shyer than usual but wasn’t hiding or acting embarrassed by what he’d done. Magnus was so proud of him for it he made sure to spoil Alec a little extra before sending him off to work.</p><p>From that point on, the suckling became just another thing that they did. Not constant, no. Alec still preferred Magnus’ cock more often than not when he was in a mood. It remained the fastest way to soothe him down or to quiet the demons in his head. Alec was happiest when Magnus put him down on his knees and let him spend however long he wanted between Magnus’ thighs.</p><p>In lieu of that, he’d go for Magnus’ fingers or sometimes his neck, his collarbone. Very, very rarely did Magnus go anywhere without a hickey on some part of him. Alec had even mostly stopped being embarrassed about how proudly Magnus liked to display some of those marks.</p><p>Those still stayed Alec’s preferred activities. But every now and again when the mood struck, when he was seeking comfort or relaxing on the slowly ebbing tide of subspace, the two would curl up together, and Alec would draw Magnus’ nipple into his mouth and let his worries go for a little while in the mindless, soothing gesture. Sometimes Magnus even woke to the sensation on lazy mornings where neither of them had anywhere to be. Sleepy suckling with eyes half-closed and not an ounce of tension in him.</p><p>It quickly became one of Magnus’ favorite looks for his love. One that he mentally took a snapshot of and logged away with all the other glimpses of Alec no one else got to see. Like the bright smiles he got when Magnus surprised him with something. The adorable way he’d wrinkled his nose that time Magnus tried to get him to try some sashimi. The blissed-out look that only went over him when he was deep in subspace. The needy look he’d wear when he was on his knees and he desperately wanted Magnus’ cock.</p><p>The suckling wasn’t sexual, not in those moments, as Alec had said. Nor was it infantilizing. Magnus had carefully watched for any signs of that, just in case, because that was an entirely different conversation they would need to have. One that he didn’t want to broach right away. Not without some kind of evidence to back it up. But the more he watched, the more he realized that this really was just another way for Alec to soothe himself. Another way for the two of them to be close.</p><p>Maybe it wasn’t the most conventional of ways. However, it was something that worked for them, and in the end, that was all that mattered.</p>
<hr/><p>Magnus got a chance to see just how much it worked to soothe his love only a few weeks after that. Surprisingly enough, at the Institute of all places.</p><p>The day was going mostly slow for Magnus, which meant that he had plenty of free time around Alec’s lunch break to be able to portal over there for a little bit and tempt his boyfriend away from work for a little while. Feeding Alec was far more of a necessity than Magnus had realized it would be at the start. As much as Alec worked to make sure <em>Magnus</em> ate, he was abysmal at minding his own eating habits. (And no, the bits of cardboard and rocks disguised as <em>nutritional bars </em>absolutely did not count no matter what Alec suggested)</p><p>The people around the Institute had long since grown used to Magnus dropping by randomly.</p><p>However, this time the way they ignored him likely had little to do with them being used to his presence and everything to do with the clearly rather <em>heated</em> argument happening up in the training room just off the Ops Center. One look, and Magnus found himself staring as well.</p><p>Jace and Alec were clearly facing off against one another. From the looks of it, Jace had been mid-workout when Alec came to talk to him – Jace was in sweats and a tank top while Alec was still in the same suit he’d left the house in this morning. A nice suit, if Magnus did say so himself. Much better fitting than the last one that Magnus had conveniently <em>lost</em> somewhere. Paulo had done a fantastic job with the measurements Magnus had sent him.</p><p>Whatever they were arguing about had clearly pissed Alec off. What Magnus could see of his profile showed a rigid set to Alec’s features. His body language was just as tense, with an edge that Magnus could read was frustration. It showed in the twitch of Alec’s fingers at his side, the slight mess where he’d clearly run his fingers through his hair, and the extra sharpness to his gestures when he moved his hands.</p><p>Jace, for his part, was doing his best to look entirely unaffected by the whole thing. His every move was a pose of such feigned nonchalance it only made it all the more obvious how fake it was. Something Alec said had him rolling his eyes. The look he gave Alec was such a clear <em>quit overreacting</em> that Magnus could practically hear it.</p><p>Then again, it wouldn’t have been the first time he’d witnessed that kind of argument.</p><p>A lesser man would’ve stayed back and left the two alone to finish out their fight. Getting between two arguing shadowhunters wasn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. Getting between two parabatai was even worse – especially when one of them was the Head of their Institute.</p><p>Magnus rolled his eyes and tried not to sigh. For two men who were supposed to be bonded in their <em>souls,</em> they really did tend to fight together more than most people Magnus knew. And not just the playful fighting like he and Ragnor did, or he and Raphael, though they indulged in that sometimes as well. This, however, was different. These two could go from having one another’s backs in everything little thing to deliberately pressing each other’s buttons until one or the other finally blew. Then they’d go to the training room and spar until they’d worked out all that aggression.</p><p>How on earth they’d managed to make it this long without killing one another was a mystery Magnus had yet to solve.</p><p>Magnus gathered himself and affected as calm and controlled air as he could while he strolled across the Ops Center toward his boyfriend. He let the persona of High Warlock carry him. The best way to approach a fight like this was to very clearly make it known that he wasn’t there to pick a side. Even if everyone knew what side he’d pick anyway.</p><p>The instant Magnus was close enough to be heard without outright shouting, he drew on a smile and called out a teasing greeting. “Well now, I come by to pull you away from your desk for lunch only to find you’ve already done half the job for me.”</p><p>Seeing how Alec responded to even just the sound of his voice was something Magnus would never grow tired of. Though whatever was going on clearly had his boy far too wound up to relax entirely, he did shift immediately toward Magnus. Some of the annoyance on his face washed away on a wave of love. “Magnus.” He said Magnus’ name like it was the most sacred of prayers. Something that Magnus found equally blasphemous and delicious in a place of worship to the precious Angel. “I wasn’t expecting you.”</p><p>Magnus grinned at him. When he got close, he pushed up just a little to give Alec a warm kiss hello. “That’s the point of a surprise. It wouldn’t be half as fun if you were expecting it.”</p><p>From off to the side came a low huff. Jace’s eyeroll was heavy and clear in his words as he said, “Good, you’re here. Maybe you can take him somewhere he can’t nag at me for a while so I can finish my training.”</p><p>There was just enough teasing in those words to take the sharper edge of their bite away. Yet Magnus could still feel how Alec tensed in response. His glare came back, sharper than ever. It was a wonder that Jace could continue on training when Alec shot the glare his way.</p><p>If Magnus wanted to prevent the argument from starting all over again, he needed to move quickly.</p><p>“That sounds like a wonderful plan to me,” he said cheerfully. He ignored Jace entirely and grinned up at Alec. “I’m starving, and the view here isn’t conducive to keeping my appetite. Can I convince you to sneak a quick lunch break in your office?” Magnus tacked on just enough of a leer to those last words that he knew Jace would pick up on it. “I <em>much</em> prefer the view there.”</p><p>The groan Jace let out had Magnus winking up at Alec.</p><p>For a second it looked like Alec might not agree. That he might try and stick around and finish whatever argument it was they were having. Then he sighed, and Magnus could see the capitulation. “Lunch sounds nice,” Alec said. However, even as he let Magnus begin to lead him away, he shot Jace one last glare and pointed a finger his way. “This isn’t over.”</p><p>“Looking forward to it,” Jace called back.</p><p>The sound Alec made was somewhere between a huff and a growl. It was one that Magnus had heard plenty of times before; only his parabatai seemed to be able to draw it out of him.</p><p>Magnus couldn’t help but look at Alec curiously as the two men walked back toward his office. “I admit, I’m almost afraid to ask what it is you two are fighting about this time.”</p><p>“Jace is an idiot.”</p><p>“And that’s new <em>how</em>?”</p><p>The laugh Alec let out had Magnus’ grin growing. He loved getting that sound out of his boyfriend. But when they finally made it to Alec’s office, and they were safely behind closed doors, Magnus’ smile wiped away underneath a frown. There were still far too many lines on Alec’s face. Little bits of tension that made it clear he was more upset than Magnus had realized.</p><p>His brow furrowed, and he reached out to catch hold of Alec’s jacket, stopping him from going further into the office. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>Magnus wasn’t sure at first that Alec was going to answer. The debate was evident on his face. Then the younger man sighed, and his body slumped a little in Magnus’ direction. “He’s just, he’s fighting with Maia again, and I don’t…he’s being stupid, and I can’t get him to listen to me.”</p><p>Having been around for moments like this before allowed Magnus to decipher Alec's words and put them together into something that made a bit more sense.</p><p>Jace fighting with Maia wasn’t an unusual thing. The two had strong personalities, which meant they were more likely to clash together, especially in a relationship. More often than not, Simon, the third in that little triad, worked perfectly as the calm buffer between them. Something about him mellowed them both out. What should’ve been a grand disaster of a relationship actually worked really well.</p><p>But every now and again, Jace and Maia would spark off against one another, and the next little while would be spent with Alec disappearing for extra sparring sessions with his parabatai or extra patrols where he could watch Jace’s back. Because Jace tended to get a little reckless when he was upset, and Alec worried about him. Which was no doubt the case here.</p><p>Magnus gently smoothed away invisible wrinkles to Alec’s jacket. It was mostly a test. One that Alec responded to by leaning in against that touch even more. That gesture let Magnus know what Alec needed more than anything else at the moment, and he set about planning how to give it to him.</p><p>“You need to calm down,” Magnus told him, flattening his palm against Alec's chest. “I know you want to help him, but there are some things your parabatai is going to need to learn how to work out for himself. And you will be no use to him if you let his stress build yours higher. All that’s going to do is stress him out more as well.”</p><p>With another sigh, Alec leaned in a little more, and the lines on his face deepened. “I know.”</p><p>Magnus took a moment to look Alec over. He took in everything his boy’s body was showing, everything that was written out there in plain view for someone who knew how to see. It only took a moment to make a decision. Then he was moving, dragging Alec along with him right over to Alec’s desk. Once they were there, Magnus pushed Alec down into his chair.</p><p>Alec went down with a huff and a glare that didn’t really have any heat to it. “Don’t you always tell me how I need to use my words?”</p><p>The griping words only succeeded in making Magnus grin. “Very true. But I’ve learned that words don’t always work with shadowhunters who are too stubborn for their own good. Sometimes a little action is required.”</p><p>Though it was tempting, Magnus didn’t take the so very obvious seat like Alec clearly expected him to. Instead of dropping down into his boyfriend’s lap, one of his favorite places to sit normally, Magnus boosted himself up to sit on Alec’s desk right in front of him. Hands on the desk, legs spread to make room, he used a bit of magic to tug Alec in close.</p><p>Alec arched one eyebrow as his chair rolled forward. He looked at how they were positioned and then back up at Magnus’ face, that one eyebrow still up. “Need I remind you the no-sex-at-work rule we both agreed on?”</p><p>“You could, and I would likely have fun trying to convince you otherwise at any other time. But I wasn’t thinking anything sexual, pet.” The instant Alec was close, Magnus reached up with one hand to cup the side of Alec’s face the way he always did when checking on him. It melted his heart a little to see the way Alec leaned into that touch automatically. He went from big-bad-shadowhunter to Magnus’ sweet boy in one single touch. Smiling, Magnus stroked his thumb over Alec’s cheek. “We’ll save that for later, hm? Right now, I think you need to relax more than you need me to wind you up.”</p><p>When he slid his thumb down Alec’s cheek and toward his mouth, it was easy to see the way that Alec immediately tilted up to try and get it. He parted his lips so that it was easier for Magnus’ thumb to snag on his bottom lip.</p><p>Alec would happily draw his thumb in and let that soothe him down a little. It might even work, too. Especially if Magnus twisted his hand enough to put two fingers in instead of just his thumb. Of course, there was something else entirely that would work even better, but as Alec had pointed out, they had a no-sex-at-work rule that they’d agreed on early on. And while this wasn’t going to be sexual, there was no way Alec would be able to relax into sucking Magnus’ cock the way he’d need to while in this space.</p><p>That left one option, and honestly, it was probably the best option. Magnus would be able to offer a few different things to help Alec settle inside his own skin once more.</p><p>Surprise flashed over Alec’s face when Magnus drew his thumb away from Alec’s mouth. Then Magnus slid that hand around to the back of Alec’s neck and used the grip to pull him in close. Alec came easily. He even lifted his arms so that he could loosely wrap them around Magnus’ waist and tug him closer to the edge of the desk.</p><p>Magnus put his feet on the chair on either side of Alec’s hips. That allowed him to bring his boy right up between his knees and up against his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around Alec while at the same time pressing in with his knees so that his boy was surrounded by warmth, a firm pressure, and <em>Magnus</em>.</p><p>There was a faint muffled sound against Magnus’ chest. It sounded like maybe Alec was going to protest, something he still sometimes did when he was caught up in a bad space and fell back into the old habit of believing that he wasn’t worthy of this kind of comfort. Magnus preempted any of those kinds of remarks by scratching his nails up Alec’s back to his neck. It instantly melted him.</p><p>“Just relax, Alexander. I’ve got you.” A little twist of magic made sure that the door was locked and basic privacy wards were up. No one was going to come marching in on them while Alec was open and vulnerable like this.</p><p>Magnus was grateful that he’d worn a loose shirt here with the intent to tease Alec just a little during their lunch. That meant the neckline was lower than some of his others, a couple extra buttons undone. Magic helped him to undo another two. Then he was free to nudge Alec’s head a little until his nose was against skin.</p><p>From there, Magnus couldn’t force this, but he could make sure Alec knew the offer was there.</p><p>“Just take a few deep breaths for me, darling.” Magnus ran his fingers firmly over Alec’s neck and up into his hair. He was pleased with the small shudder he got. One that was followed immediately by a deep breath. “That’s it. Just breathe and relax. You know you always get so wound up when he gets wound up.”</p><p>“Can’t help it,” Alec mumbled against Magnus’ skin.</p><p>Magnus gave a firmer scratch in the short hairs at the top of Alec’s neck. “I know.” And really, he did. He’d learned a lot about the parabatai bond. While it wasn’t the kind of bond that let them feel everything the other was feeling, strong emotions came through, letting them know that something was out of balance. For Alec, that always came with a pressing need to fix whatever it was that was wrong. “You take so much on your shoulders, Alexander. I know you want to help him, but you need to let him grow up a little. Let him face his own mistakes and solve them himself. Otherwise, he’ll never learn.”</p><p>Whatever sound it was that Alec made, it was part grumble and part something that Magnus took to mean <em>I agree with you but I don’t want to admit it.</em></p><p>Alec turned his face in more toward Magnus’ chest. He rubbed a little, as he always did, a gesture that was pure Alec.</p><p>Magnus hadn’t been sure that Alec would feel comfortable enough to do this here. That he’d be able to relax enough to even accept Magnus’ offer of comfort. The most he’d ever been able to do to help Alec out inside the walls of the Institute was a bit of kissing and cuddling here in his office during one of their lunches, and maybe a discreet alternative to the kind of sucking that Alec actually wanted to do. Mints, candies, things of the like. Often he’d just portal Alec home for a bit and then bring him back afterward.</p><p>But this? This was something they could do here. This was easy to do, and easy to hide. If anyone walked in, all they’d see is Magnus hugging him. Alec’s arms were around his waist, he was too tall for it to look like his head was anywhere inappropriate, and his head was turned away from the door. Even if Magnus hadn’t locked and warded the place, no one would see anything suspicious if they walked in.</p><p>It took a few minutes, and some soft humming from Magnus while he maintained the firm pressure of his hug, for Alec to start doing more than just nuzzling against his chest.</p><p>When Magnus felt the first brush of lips over his nipple, he smiled softly to himself.</p><p>He continued to hum through the soft, questing touch of Alec’s mouth, and as that touch became a little firmer. When Alec finally drew Magnus’ nipple into his mouth, he ended up letting out a heavy sigh that took away a good half his tension, and his body fully slumped against Magnus’.</p><p>Magnus let out a pleased rumble and drew Alec in even closer. “There we are. There’s my sweet boy being so lovely for me. I’m so proud of you, Alexander.”</p><p>The words were true. As Magnus held Alec against him, he felt so very proud of him. Proud of how far he’d come. Once, Alec wouldn’t have dared accept comfort for anything. He wouldn’t have believed he deserved it. Instead, he would’ve been silently following along after Jace doing everything he could to protect his parabatai or bugging him until Jace blew on him and let out all the fear and anger inside. Magnus had seen him do that – and hated it. He hated the way Alec always tried to take pain onto himself to make others feel better.</p><p>Now? Now, Alec was here in his office with Magnus, allowing Magnus to hold him, to give him comfort in a way that worked for them. One that others might not understand, but that was beautiful and <em>theirs</em>. He’d come so far from the terrified boy he’d once been, and Magnus felt like he fell more and more in love with each passing day.</p><p>Meeting Alexander had been the greatest thing to ever happen to him. Magnus was willing to thank whatever angel or demon was responsible for it every single day for the rest of his existence. He had everything he could ever want in life right here in his arms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading - be sure to let me know what you think!</p><p>And if you'd like to join a Multifandom server on Discord, come hang out <a href="https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD">HERE</a> in the Fandom Playhouse with me and a group of amazing people!</p><p>Also, though I'm rarely on there, you can find me on tumblr <a href="https://to-the-stars-writing.tumblr.com/">HERE</a> and say hi, send an ask, or even leave me a prompt if you'd like :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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